Yellowstone National Park

Kari Lynn
Sep 9, 2023
4 min read

Updated: Feb 17, 2024

We visited Yellowstone National Park in June (June, July, August peak season). The park is beautiful, featuring many canyons, rivers, beautiful forests, hot springs, & geysers. It's also home to many different animals, including bison, elk, antelope, bears & wolves (more seen in the "off season"). We entered via the West entrance which is VERY busy! Plan your trip in advance to make it more enjoyable instead of a very frustrating, exhausting experience.

Park Tips: & Tricks

Book your accommodations as far in advance as you can especially if you plan to stay in the park. If you want TVs, air conditioning or WiFi I'd recommend staying outside the park. There are several options.

You will need a park pass. They are $35.00 USD per car & it's valid for 7 days. The lines get really long at the entrance so if you pre-buy your pass online you can save time.

Cell Service is the park is TERRIBLE. Expect to be without. Grab a map, you will need it to get around and see the popular sites. We loved this one https://amzn.to/3LfkZfK

I would recommend entering the park by 7:30 am at the latest. You will have a completely different experience. I recommend hitting the most popular landmarks first (Old Faithful, Grand Prismatic Spring, Mammoth Hot Springs & Yellowstone Canyon). If you plan a good itinerary it will make your trip more enjoyable. The busiest times in the park are between 10:00 am - 6:00 pm.

We grabbed breakfast to go from https://store.mountainmamascafe.com/ & headed into the park. Also, pack a lunch. It'll make things much easier. Also, pack a reusable water bottle.

Stay on MARKED trails. Be respectful of nature & don't throw any kind of objects into the geothermal features or litter on any of the pathways.

Allow yourself 3-4 Days in the park if possible to be able to see the top sites, relax & not feel rushed through the sites.

The best time to see wildlife is around sunrise or sunset.

If you only have 2-3 days be sure to visit the Lower Loop and stop at all the main landmarks. We did the Grand loop in 2 days but it was difficult. One last thing that I have to mention is that you should be prepared for wildlife by the road edge that may cause slow or stopped traffic.

Top 10 Things to Do in Yellowstone (MUST see main attractions & landmarks)

1. Grand Prismatic Spring

If you have to choose one thing, THIS IS IT!!! It is the most unique place and the best place to take amazing photos. It is not only the largest hot spring in the United States but, it's the third largest in the world. The colors are the brightest mid-day when it's sunny but no matter the weather or conditions seeing it is a must in Yellowstone. The BEST way to see it is from the Grand Prismatic Viewing Platform which is accessible via the Fairy Falls trail. It's a 1.2 mile hike. The last part of it is very steep so wear hiking shoe & bring water with you.

(The photo was taken from above at the viewing platform.)

2. Old Faithful Geyser

I'd say this is an absolute must in the park. It has the most predictable geyser. It erupts about every 90 minutes (you want to see it in action) & has been doing so for 150 years. There is plenty of parking and the upper geyser is very big, so the crowd is spread out.

3. Upper Geyser Basin & Morning Glory Pool

This area contains around 25% of the world's geysers & is home to Old Faithful. It has lots of walking paths passing many geysers.

4. Grand Canyon of Yellowstone

The Yellowstone Canyon is over 24 miles long. There are many lookouts and walking trails along both rims of the canyon. The two main places people visit in the canyon are Artist Point & Lower Falls.

5. Hayden Valley

Probably the most popular place to see wildlife in Yellowstone. It is usually very busy and if the bison decide to hang around on the road, you'll get stuck for a very long time. (We got stuck for 1.5 hours) The bison will walk right down the road and by vehicles. DO NOT GET OUT of our vehicle.

6. Mammoth Hot Springs

The main highlights in this area are Canary Spring, Liberty Cap, Palette Spring & Minerva Terrance. There are two parts to Mammoth, the lower and upper terraces. The two areas are connected by boardwalks & stairs to access both.

7. Yellowstone Lake

Yellowstone Lake is the largest high-elevation lake in North America. It freezes over completely every winter & even in the summer months the water temperature is too cold to swim in.

8. West Thumb Geyser Basin

It is located on the western side of Yellowstone Lake. It has spectacular views of the lake and has some thermal features. The trail is an easy walk.

9. Norris Geyser Basin

It is the hottest geyser basin in Yellowstone and split into two section, Porcelain Basin & the Back Basin. This area is super neat to explore but, it is huge so be prepared to walk & drink plenty of water.